Dark spots respond to a routine, not a single product. Vivier's Brighten and Restore Program is that routine, assembled in advance: a salicylic cleanser, a brightening serum and cream, a glycolic exfoliant, a 1.0% retinol and an SPF 45, in a fixed order. This guide explains what each step does, how to use the six products together morning and night, and how to choose between the Non-HQ and 2% HQ versions.
Quick answers
- What is the Vivier Brighten and Restore Program?
- A six-product Vivier routine for the look of dark spots, uneven tone and sun-damaged-looking skin. It comes in two versions: Non-HQ ($640), built around Radiance Serum and Skin Brightening Cream, and 2% HQ ($624), built around Advanced Skin Lightening Serum and Corrector 2.
- What order do I use the products in?
- Morning: Medicated Wash, brightening serum, brightening cream, Sheer SPF 45. Night: Medicated Wash, Exfoliant Forte on exfoliating nights, Retinol 1.0% on retinol nights, brightening cream.
- Non-HQ or 2% HQ?
- Non-HQ is the default. It has no hydroquinone, so it can be used continuously. The 2% HQ version is for stubborn spots that have not shifted with a gentler routine, and is best started with a skincare professional's guidance.
- How long before I notice anything?
- Vivier's guidance is that consistent use over about four weeks, one full skin cycle, is when visible change tends to show. Dark spots are slow; give the routine three months before judging it.
- Does the program save money?
- Yes. At our current prices the Non-HQ program saves $102 (14%) and the 2% HQ program saves $139 (18%) against the same six products bought separately.
Why dark spots need a routine
Hyperpigmentation is an excess of melanin in one area of the skin. Vivier lists the usual triggers as sun exposure, hormonal influences, age, skin injuries and inflammation, and in practice most people have more than one at work. A spot left by a blemish, sun damage across the cheekbones and the patchiness that arrives in your forties all sit in the same category, and they all respond to the same four things done together.
The first is exfoliation, so the pigmented surface cells are shed faster. The second is a brightening ingredient that interrupts the look of new pigment forming. The third is a retinol, which speeds cell turnover from below. The fourth, and the one people skip, is sunscreen every single morning, because UV is what made the spots in the first place and it will make them again. A brightening serum used without sunscreen is money spent to stand still.
What the program is really selling. Not one hero product but the sequence. Vivier builds every program on the same Prepare, Target, Moisturize, Protect logic, and Brighten and Restore is the version where every Target product is aimed at tone. You could assemble the same routine yourself; the program simply removes the guesswork and costs less.
The two programs, side by side
Both versions share four products: the cleanser, the exfoliant, the retinol and the sunscreen. The difference is the brightening pair in the middle.
| Step | Non-HQ ($640) | 2% HQ ($624) |
|---|---|---|
| Cleanse | Medicated Wash | Medicated Wash |
| Brightening serum | Radiance Serum (vitamin C, arbutin, resorcinol) | Advanced Skin Lightening Serum (2% hydroquinone) |
| Brightening cream | Skin Brightening Cream | Corrector 2 (2% hydroquinone) |
| Exfoliate | Exfoliant Forte | Exfoliant Forte |
| Retinol | Retinol 1.0% | Retinol 1.0% |
| Protect | Sheer SPF 45 | Sheer SPF 45 |
| Use | Continuous | For a defined period, as advised by a professional |
| Availability | Canada and US | Canada only |
Brighten and Restore Program (Non-HQ)
Six full-size products, $640. The version to stay on.
Brighten and Restore Program (2% HQ)
Six full-size products, $624. For spots that have not moved.
The six products and what each one does
Listed in the order you will meet them in a day. Prices are the individual prices, for reference.
Medicated Wash
- What it is A 2% salicylic acid cleanser
- Job here Clears oil and surface debris so the actives that follow reach clean skin
- Price $78, 150 ml
Salicylic acid is oil-soluble, so it cleans inside the pore rather than just across the surface. That makes it a sensible cleanser for a routine built on exfoliation. If your skin is dry rather than oily, it is also the one product in the program you may want to use only at night, with a gentler wash such as HEXAM in the morning. Shop Medicated Wash
Radiance Serum (Non-HQ) or Advanced Skin Lightening Serum (2% HQ)
- Radiance Serum 8% L-ascorbic acid with arbutin and resorcinol, $181, 30 ml
- Advanced Skin Lightening Serum 2% hydroquinone USP, $194, 30 ml
- Job here The morning brightening step, applied to clean skin before anything else
Radiance Serum is Vivier's brightening vitamin C: the antioxidant benefit of L-ascorbic acid, with arbutin and resorcinol added for the look of dark spots. Advanced Skin Lightening Serum takes the direct route with 2% hydroquinone. Either way, this goes on first, so the serum is not competing with a cream for absorption. Shop Radiance Serum or Advanced Skin Lightening Serum
Skin Brightening Cream (Non-HQ) or Corrector 2 (2% HQ)
- Skin Brightening Cream Non-hydroquinone brightening cream, $140, 55 ml
- Corrector 2 2% hydroquinone USP cream, $148
- Job here The cream step, and the closest thing to a moisturizer in the program
The second half of the brightening pair. It layers over the serum in the morning and over the retinol at night. Note that neither program includes a separate moisturizer: this cream is doing that job. If your skin runs dry, especially once the retinol is in play, add Nightly Age-Defying Moisturizer ($130) over it at night. Shop Skin Brightening Cream or Corrector 2
Exfoliant Forte
- What it is A glycolic acid exfoliating treatment
- Job here Lifts pigmented surface cells so the skin looks brighter and the serum lands on fresher skin
- Price $115, 60 ml
The step that produces the earliest visible difference, usually in texture and brightness before the spots themselves change. It is also the step most likely to be overused. Two or three nights a week is plenty, and never on the same night as the retinol until your skin has clearly settled into both. Shop Exfoliant Forte
Retinol 1.0%
- What it is Vivier's highest-strength retinol serum
- Job here Speeds cell turnover for the look of uneven tone, texture and lines
- Price $148, 30 ml
Both programs ship with the 1.0%, which is a strong place to start if you have never used retinol. Begin two nights a week and build up over a month. If your skin is reactive, it is reasonable to buy the program and swap in Retinol 0.3% ($110) for the first bottle, then move up. Shop Retinol 1.0%
Sheer SPF 45
- What it is Broad-spectrum SPF 45, sheer finish
- Job here Stops the spots you are treating from darkening again, and new ones from forming
- Price $80
The non-negotiable step. Retinol, glycolic acid and hydroquinone all make skin more responsive to UV, so this program without daily sunscreen is not just less effective, it can leave you worse off. Apply it last in the morning, every morning, including grey ones and the ones you spend indoors by a window. Shop Sheer SPF 45
The morning routine
- Cleanse with Medicated Wash. Warm water, thirty seconds, pat dry.
- Brightening serum. Three or four drops of Radiance Serum, or the Advanced Skin Lightening Serum, pressed over the whole face rather than dabbed on spots. Let it absorb for a minute.
- Brightening cream. A pea-sized amount of Skin Brightening Cream or Corrector 2 over the whole face, with extra attention to the areas of concern.
- Sheer SPF 45. A generous layer, about a quarter teaspoon for the face, applied last. Wait two to three minutes before makeup.
Four steps, five minutes. If you use an eye cream, it goes after the serum and before the cream.
The night routine
- Cleanse with Medicated Wash.
- Exfoliate or retinol, not both. On exfoliating nights, apply Exfoliant Forte and skip the retinol. On retinol nights, apply Retinol 1.0% and skip the exfoliant. Once your skin is fully adjusted, some people combine them on the same night, but there is no need to rush toward that.
- Brightening cream. Skin Brightening Cream or Corrector 2 over the top.
- Moisturizer, if needed. Nightly Age-Defying Moisturizer over everything on the nights your skin feels tight.
The retinol always goes on dry skin, at least ten minutes after cleansing. Damp skin lets it absorb faster than most people want in the first month.
Your first four weeks
The most common reason this routine fails is that everything starts on day one. Here is a schedule that builds it up so the skin never has a reason to object.
| Week | Morning | Night |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Wash, serum, cream, SPF 45. Every day from day one. | Wash, cream. Exfoliant Forte on two nights. No retinol yet. |
| Week 2 | Same. | Retinol 1.0% on two nights, exfoliant on two other nights, cream over both. Three nights with cream only. |
| Week 3 | Same. | Retinol on three nights, exfoliant on two. Add Nightly Age-Defying Moisturizer if skin feels tight. |
| Week 4 onward | Same. | Retinol every night your skin tolerates it, exfoliant two to three nights. Hold at whatever frequency feels comfortable. |
Some mild flaking and a little tightness in weeks two and three is normal with a 1.0% retinol. Stinging, persistent redness or peeling is not. If that happens, drop back a week in the schedule and add the moisturizer.
Non-HQ or 2% HQ: how to decide
Hydroquinone is a regulated ingredient in Canada, which is why the 2% HQ program is sold here only and why the products in it carry a drug identification number. It is well established for the look of dark spots, and it is also the reason for two cautions. It is typically used for a defined period rather than indefinitely, and it is not a first step. The sensible sequence is to try the Non-HQ program for three months, then talk to a skincare professional about the 2% HQ version if the spots that matter to you have not shifted.
| Your situation | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First time treating dark spots | Non-HQ | No hydroquinone, no time limit, a routine you can keep. |
| Sun damage across large areas | Non-HQ | Continuous use suits a broad, ongoing concern. |
| A few stubborn spots that a gentle routine did not move | 2% HQ, with professional guidance | Hydroquinone is the more direct ingredient, used for a set period. |
| Your clinic has recommended hydroquinone | 2% HQ | The program contains the two Vivier 2% HQ products together. |
| Pregnant, breastfeeding or planning to be | Ask your physician first | Vivier advises expectant and nursing women to consult their physician before any product, and retinol and hydroquinone are usually the first two set aside. |
One useful pattern: finish a 2% HQ period, then move to the Non-HQ program as the maintenance routine. The exfoliant, retinol and sunscreen are identical, so the switch changes only the two brightening products.
Four mistakes that undo the work
- Skipping sunscreen on cloudy days. UVA comes through cloud and glass. On this routine the skin is more UV-responsive than usual, so a missed morning costs more than it would otherwise.
- Exfoliating and using retinol on the same night, from the start. Irritated skin can darken, which is the opposite of the goal. Alternate nights until the skin is fully settled.
- Spot-treating. Dabbing the serum only on the spots leaves the surrounding skin untreated and tends to produce a patchy result. Apply to the whole face.
- Stopping at six weeks. One skin cycle is about 28 days. Dark spots sit deeper than the surface, so two or three cycles is the fair test. Take a photo in the same light on day one and again at three months.
What the program costs and saves
| Program | Bought separately | Program price | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brighten and Restore (Non-HQ) | $742 | $640 | $102 (14%) |
| Brighten and Restore (2% HQ) | $763 | $624 | $139 (18%) |
Every product is full size, so a program is roughly three months of the routine, which is also the fair trial period. If you already own a salicylic cleanser and an SPF you like, buying the four Target products individually is the other sensible route. Our guide to all five Vivier programs covers when a program is and is not the right purchase.
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Shop VivierFrequently asked questions
What is in the Vivier Brighten and Restore Program?
Six full-size products: Medicated Wash, a brightening serum, a brightening cream, Exfoliant Forte, Retinol 1.0% and Sheer SPF 45. The Non-HQ version uses Radiance Serum and Skin Brightening Cream. The 2% HQ version uses Advanced Skin Lightening Serum and Corrector 2, each with 2% hydroquinone.
In what order should I apply the Brighten and Restore products?
Morning: Medicated Wash, brightening serum, brightening cream, Sheer SPF 45. Night: Medicated Wash, then either Exfoliant Forte or Retinol 1.0% depending on the night, then brightening cream. Vivier's general rule is thinnest to thickest: serums and gels first, creams after, sunscreen last in the morning.
Can I use Exfoliant Forte and Retinol 1.0% on the same night?
Not at first. Alternate them for the first month or two. Once your skin is fully comfortable with both, some people combine them, but alternating nights remains the lower-risk approach and works just as well over three months.
What is the difference between the Non-HQ and 2% HQ Brighten and Restore Programs?
Only the brightening pair. Non-HQ uses Radiance Serum and Skin Brightening Cream, with no hydroquinone, for continuous use. 2% HQ uses Advanced Skin Lightening Serum and Corrector 2, each with 2% hydroquinone, sold in Canada only and typically used for a defined period with professional guidance. Cleanser, exfoliant, retinol and sunscreen are the same.
Does the Brighten and Restore Program include a moisturizer?
Not a separate one. Skin Brightening Cream or Corrector 2 fills that role. If your skin is dry, add Nightly Age-Defying Moisturizer at night, particularly on retinol nights.
How long does it take to see results from the Brighten and Restore Program?
Vivier's guidance is that noticeable change tends to appear after about four weeks of consistent use, one skin cycle. Texture and brightness usually improve first. Dark spots take longer, so judge the routine at three months, not six weeks. Individual results vary.
Is the Brighten and Restore Program suitable for sensitive skin?
It is one of Vivier's more active routines, with a 1.0% retinol, a glycolic exfoliant and a salicylic cleanser. Reactive skin should build it up slowly, consider starting with Retinol 0.3% instead of 1.0%, and add a moisturizer. If redness is your main concern, the Sensitive Skin Program is the better starting point.
Where can I buy the Vivier Brighten and Restore Program in Canada?
From an authorized Canadian retailer. Your Skin Solution is an authorized Vivier retailer and stocks both versions, with free shipping on orders over $99 within Canada.
Program contents, ingredient positioning and directions are as published by Vivier Canada. Vivier reserves the right to modify programs and savings without notice. Prices are current as of 29 September 2026 and may change. Descriptions refer to visible, cosmetic change. Individual results vary. This article is general information, not medical advice. Speak with your dermatologist or skincare professional about what suits your skin, particularly before starting any product containing hydroquinone, and if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.